Monthly Archives: September 2012

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Morning everyone! A few weeks ago, I set up my own indie publishing company, and now the newest book from Moon Rose Publishing is already on its way! This is the official cover reveal for Moon Rose Publishing’s first published anthology! Once Upon A Twisted Time is an anthology of fairytales-each with a dark twist. Cinderella goes Sci-fi, Snow White has become Steampunk, The Little Mermaid has gone Gothic, and Beauty and the Beast has switched sides altogether!

It will be available from the Moon Rose Publishing site on its release on the 31st October, as well as from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and all other Amazon sites. Do not miss out on your chance to pick up this amazing book from the 31st October 2012!

I’ve also got a little snippet from my story, Reborn City, below. Don’t forget to check out the other author’s blogs via the links, for a chance to read a snippet from their stories too! 😀

Think you know your fairytales? Think again. These aren’t your normal happily-ever-after. Within these pages, a murderous Little Mermaid gets her revenge, the Cinderella doesn’t really want to wear the slipper, Snow White is up to her eyes in industrial experiments, and the Beauty is in fact the Beast. This collection of four novellas will surprise you, make you gasp in horror, sigh with relief, and sit on the edge of your seat. And most of all…they will make you rethink everything you think you know about dark fairytales…

Song of the Abyss
Princess Nerissa had envisioned a perfect wedding to a handsome prince. Instead, she fell into a nightmare. When her new husband tries to murder her just hours after pledging his life to her, she must flee towards the sea. Caught in transition from woman to selkie, she is trapped by the dark waters she hoped would be her salvation. Now her destiny becomes that of luring young men to their death…until one comes along that reignites the spark of love inside her. However to ensure her future, she must first face her past. Revenge must be taken…for both her life, and the life of the young man she now loves.

Miss Cavendish and the Spark of Salvation
In a city toiling under the iron fist of the Spiegel Syndicate and its monopoly on coal, Miss Georgina “George” Cavendish is on the brink of a breakthrough that could change the world forever. There’s just one thing standing in her way, her aunt – Xenobia Cavendish. Threatened by her efforts, the Syndicate procures the services of a notorious assassin with a past tied to her own, known as The Huntsman, to dispatch the brilliant scientist. But once he gets a glimpse of the headstrong beauty, will he be able to do the job, or will Georgina sway him to The Cause? And will George find the breakthrough she needs in time, or is New London Town doomed to forever lie under the dark shadow of her aunt’s factories?

Hawke and the Beast
Some curses last forever, and some can be broken with the whisper of three little words. Isabella Rose Woodward fell in love with a witch’s son over a century ago. Her punishment for breaking the young man’s heart was a beastly one. Every month she turns into a different creature, aging on the full moon when her curse allows for a brief return to her human form. Her only salvation is to find a man that will love her as she is…be it adorned in feathers, fur or scales. Has she found this love with the handsome Jasper Hawke? Or will a mysteriously determined Hunter find her first, and snuff out the life she so desperately seeks? A life of normalcy, where she loves and is loved in return… just as she is.

Reborn City
Nyx has one mission in life; bring down the brainwashing of New Omsk’s citizens, and release them from their mundane lives of toil. The year is 2355, and the world is a new place. A Governor is in charge of every city in the world, and humanity is attempting to rebuild itself after recovering from a war that nearly killed it. But this Governor has set his eyes on the intrepid little hacker, Nyx, and he will stop at nothing to get her. But perhaps he needs her more than he ever dreamed he would…as do his citizens.

And below, the gorgeous cover!

Copyright Miranda Stork and Moon Rose Publishing

And now for a little snippet from Reborn City!

The woman’s eyes narrowed, glancing down at it. Zhelat-X frowned, and followed her eyes down. And cried out in anger. The damn disc was giving off sparks-it was a contraption made to short any electrical circuit; even robotic ones. “Bitch! Suka!” she hissed, as the item exploded in a cascade of blue light, rippling through her body.
Whipping her bag up, the woman took off, sprinting across the desert, her hair flying out behind her. Zhelat-X was made of stronger stuff though. The mechanism had torn through her systems, but they were rapidly rebooting themselves. Her screen flickered; the camera lens in her eye cracked and broken. Her neck jerkily snapped from left to right, and then back upright again as her motorised body brought itself back to life. Zhelat-X opened her eyes fully, watching the figure run away; and launched herself forwards, breaking into a run. Shouting in anger, her legs began to pump faster, slicing against the storm winds.
The woman took a frantic look behind herself, and saw the furious robot closing in on her; Slipper still in hand. Darting to her side, she disappeared momentarily behind a large cluster of rocks, throwing a few more of the shorting devices at Zhelat-X’s feet. The robot gritted her teeth in rage, and dodged around them, getting caught in the slight blast of one of them. As she came around the side of the rocks, the woman was pointing a small gun at her-somehow she had managed to get hold of one of the new laser models the Footmen had been trying out only recently.
They locked eyes, and Zhelat-X grinned maliciously, silently taunting her to do it. The gun was directly aimed at her torso, but the woman’s hand was shaking. Not unusual, they always tremble when they see me. She was about to take a step closer, and get the Slipper on her, when the woman’s finger squeezed, and a green laser sparked into life. It cut straight through the robot’s body, leaving a hole in its wake. It wasn’t enough to be called large, but wires and boards were sparking and fizzing furiously. Zhelat-X looked downwards in shock, opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. There was a buzzing sound as her system shut down, and her eyelids lowered. Another pause; and her metallic body crashed to the ground.
The woman took a long look at her, and then snatched up her bag, shoving the gun in, racing away. Clouds of dust eddied as her feet kicked up the dried earth. It all fell silent again, and nothing but the wind made a mournful howl.
Then a soft whirr came from Zhelat-X, as one eye carefully opened. A slow, cruel smile curved her lips, as she stared after the retreating figure of the human woman…

Copyright Miranda Stork and Moon Rose Publishing

Now don’t forget to go over to the other author’s blogs, and take a look at their snippets! Trust me, you don’t want to miss them! 😉

Evening all! Sorry it’s a late one today, but this post will be up all tomorrow as well, so it’s a super long one. Pull up your favourite chair, (why were you standing at the computer, anyway?) grab a delicious drink, and read today’s review! You can grab your copy of When Empires Fall here from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall…

In America, kings are not born, they are made. Men with ambition build their own empires and it is their heirs who carry the torch of tradition, generation by generation.

The Vasser Hotel Empire rose out of the ashes of an Industrial era, cementing itself in the very heart of America’s greatest city, New York. Through the drive and courage of one man, a legacy was born that would last more than a hundred years.

That is, until word got out that one of their own was murdered.

Sixty years of lies will come crashing down in flames of treachery and blood, and the truth will send shockwaves through an entire nation. Now the newest generation of Vasser heirs will have to deal with the consequences, or else allow their legacy to burn to the ground.

But dark secrets are buried deep within the family itself, and everyone has an agenda. Love of family and forbidden passion will set off sparks in a powder keg ready to annihilate the empire, but it may also be the only thing keeping them whole.

When reputation is everything, it will take all they’ve got to save themselves from their own undoing.

Good Points

Where to begin? At the beginning, I suppose and the first beginning must be the front cover. It’s stunning! And it really caught my attention. I don’t normally go for novels like this, as I think of them a bit like soap dramas in book form (and I don’t watch soap dramas), but this one was very different. From the first page, I was swept up by Katie Jennings’ depth and colourful descriptions. The characters were fantastic, and they really drove the story along; a grand story of the trials and tribulations of them and their hotel’s fortunes. The pacing was perfect, feeding you just enough to get you flicking over to the next chapter, but not giving away everything at once. And the ending! It was-well, it’s certainly left me waiting for the next book. 😉

Bad Points

If I had to be really, really picky, I would say that the beginning was a bit slow for me. Not that it wasn’t written well; slow starts are just not my taste. But I can see why people who like family saga novels generally would probably prefer that to build slowly to the drama. Also, I wondered if some of the characters were a little young for the storyline. Not that you CAN’T have 20-somethings running a hotel; I’m sure lots of them do. But most of the characters seemed to be within this age bracket, and I would have liked to see some older characters in there, to give it a more realistic feel.

Overall

This is a brilliant start to a great new series. I was hooked immediately, and I can’t wait to get my eager hands on the next one. Katie Jennings is a talented author, and I highly recommend this book to anyone-even if it isn’t your normal genre. This is one of those books that is worth reading even if it’s not normally your thing, if only for the quality of the writing and storyline.

In celebration of her quarter-life crisis, Katie Jennings is running a one day only FREE eBook Promo for her latest release, When Empires Fall! Click the cover image below to download the FREE eBook from Amazon, or click HERE!

What people are saying about When Empires Fall…

“A modern day epic in the tradition of Gone With The Wind… Infused with deception, lust, murder and romance, Jennings creates a magnificent family saga not to be missed.” -J.L. Firestone, author

“Exhilarating and fresh… Jennings masterfully weaves an intricate web of deception and lies…When Empires Fall is not as much a story about the rich as it is a story about human character.” -Cristian Mihai, author/blogger

“Wow! This word doesn’t even capture the writing ability of Jennings…gifted with character development to rival the New York Times best-sellers…Jennings tantalizes her readers at every chapter and scene break. Her characters are addictive.” -Bestselling Author Carolyn Arnold

Synopsis…

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall…

In America, kings are not born, they are made. Men with ambition build their own empires and it is their heirs who carry the torch of tradition, generation by generation.

The Vasser Hotel Empire rose out of the ashes of an Industrial era, cementing itself in the very heart of America’s greatest city, New York. Through the drive and courage of one man, a legacy was born that would last more than a hundred years.

That is, until word got out that one of their own was murdered.

Sixty years of lies will come crashing down in flames of treachery and blood, and the truth will send shockwaves through an entire nation. Now the newest generation of Vasser heirs will have to deal with the consequences, or else allow their legacy to burn to the ground.

But dark secrets are buried deep within the family itself, and everyone has an agenda. Love of family and forbidden passion will set off sparks in a powder keg ready to annihilate the empire, but it may also be the only thing keeping them whole.

When reputation is everything, it will take all they’ve got to save themselves from their own undoing.

Book Trailer…

But Wait…There’s More!

Also in celebration of both her birthday and the FREE promotion, Katie is unveiling the book cover and teaser trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to When Empires Fall…

Here is Rise of the NotoriousComing Spring 2013

Synopsis:

Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, and we are for the dark.

When their empire fell, darkness descended upon the Vasser Hotel family and shrouded them in chaos. It was a darkness layered in violent sins and staggering deception, made only more potent by a haunting truth. Murder, it seemed, was a burden they couldn’t escape.

With a scandal plaguing the family’s reputation, the Vasser heirs must rise to the occasion and utilize a killer’s advice to turn bad publicity into good, and tradition into innovation.

If only it was that easy.

In an elaborate game of hidden motives and sinister agendas, more dirty truths from the past will resurface, truths that could bring about victory or bloodshed. But how will the Vasser siblings react when the real threat to their family not only has power and control on the mind, but assassination as well? What will they do when it becomes clear that someone out there wants them destroyed, no matter the price?

The Vassers may have fallen from grace, but now they will rise as notorious.

About Katie Jennings…

Nothing can compare to the exhilaration of discovering, at last, a mode of release for the imagination. Mine came, after years of struggling to visualize my creativity, in the form of written word. I found myself with my nose constantly in a book, absorbing the life of the characters and the beauty of the setting. It was intoxicating, to say the least, and the only thing I knew was that I wanted to give writing a shot, and take the thousands of characters and storylines in my head and put them down on paper, and form them into something real and compelling.

In truth, I’m just a girl from a small town north of Los Angeles, with an imagination for days and thank goodness a keyboard at my fingertips. And even though my husband thinks I’m a nerd and my mom is undoubtedly my biggest fan, at the end of the day I’m loving life and enjoying giving breath to the characters living in my heart, and sharing with others all the creativity I can harness.

I believe in true love, and I’ve always believed in happy endings. And that is just the beginning of the story.

Good Thursday morning to you all! We have a great post for you today. Not only do we have a review of Fey Touched, but also a giveaway to win a FREE kindle copy! The giveaway will be open for three days only, so scroll down and take a look! You can grab your copy of Fey Touched from Amazon US, Amazon UK and at Turtle Duck Press.

Two sisters.

Asha is the Queen of the Fey, genetically engineered immortal humans who feed on human souls to survive. But she’s running from her people. When she is found by her enemy, one of the Hunters of the Fey, she expects to die. Yet he’s oddly intrigued by her, and Asha finds herself falling in love with him, hoping she can find safety and the home she’s been seeking. Then she’s kidnapped, and everything changes.

Fallon is a Hunter. She’s looking for her long-lost sister, using an addictive drug to search through the stream of time. Her addiction leaves her dangerously exposed to her enemies but, consumed by her search, she doesn’t care…until her fellow Hunters start dying from a mysterious illness. She is torn between duty and desire, and must find an answer before they all die.

What Fallon doesn’t know is that Asha might just be the key to saving them all, if only she can find her.

And time is running out.

Good Points

I love the storyline, first of all. A year ago I really didn’t like the sci-fi genre, but because of books like these, it’s starting to grow on me. And the start of the book sucked me in straight away; the was no immediate back story, just straight into the action, which really hooks the reader. I also like that the world Zarro has created is one of her own fantasy, but it also has elements of our world, giving it a grounded feel. Erin Zarro is a cunning writer, weaving three separate storylines throughout the story that ultimately collide towards the end of the story. The descriptions of both the characters and the environment were beautiful, and gave you enough information without bogging the reader down with long lengths about scenery.

Bad Points

I really couldn’t find anything in this novel I would describe as a bad point. This is a fantastic first offering from Erin Zarro.

Overall

This is an amazing book. A unique storyline, carefully crafted world, vivid characters…there was nothing I didn’t like about this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you don’t like sci-fi or fantasy…you soon will. I look forward eagerly to the next book that Erin Zarro will bring us.

I give this novel….5/5 Stars!

And now for the giveaway! This giveaway is for ONE lucky winner to win a free kindle copy of Fey Touched, and will be open ONLY until 22nd September! So fill in your details below!

Good Wednesday all! And how nice to come back after my little break! I had an awesome time promoting Erin, but it’s nice to get back into the reviewer’s seat again for a while. Today I am reviewing A Woman Recharged! You can grab your copy here from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Diamond Rose is a daydreamer. What if her fondest daydream comes true? Something so out of the realm of possibility, her fantasy didn’t stand a chance of preparing her for the reality.

Maybe then she can have the life she was supposed to live…maybe…if she doesn’t try to drag her old life with her.

This is a story of a woman, suffering from low self-esteem, who believes beauty will bring her the happiness that has been eluding her. If you enjoy reading about the empowerment of a woman who finds her way to inner peace and happiness you will love A Woman Recharged.

Excerpts:Daniel dries Diamond’s feet:

Diamond endured the cold spray of water as she stood in the outside shower stall situated in one corner of the terrace. The shower was cordoned off from full view of passersby with walls of glass blocking. Daniel was waiting just outside the stall with a huge, heated towel. Dripping wet and clad in the bikini she had worn under her fleece jogging suit, she stepped out into the cool night air. He moved in close. Starting from her top, he slowly rubbed the towel down her chilled and shaking body. When he got to her feet, he knelt down and drew her right foot toward him. He dried it so carefully and lovingly, feelings of being cold melted away. His hand cradled the under palm softly as he gently dried each toe. He lowered her foot with a lingering touch and reached for her other one. Diamond found herself wishing she had more than two. The sensation was so delicious, goose bumps traveled up her leg and her body gave a hard shiver.
“Feeling a bit more chipper?” He looked up at her from his kneeling position. His lifted eyebrows managed to make him look both comic and sardonic at the same time. He had recognized her shiver for what it was; one of enjoyment…perhaps desire.

Michael and Rainn :

“Whoa. All that thar book learnin and you don’t know two bits?” Michael shook his head in mock disbelief.
“Oh, wait a minute. My dad used to sing a line from some silly song. It went: ‘Shave and a haircut…two bits’. I always thought the two bits part meant it was two things.”
Michael looked puzzled. “What?”
“You know. A shave and a haircut. I thought those two things were the two bits.”
The sidewalk had leveled out to an even grade and Michael sprinted ahead of her. He turned around and faced her, walking backwards. His body jiggled with suppressed laughter.
“Alright. Say what you have to,” she said, eying him warily.
His laugh burst forth. “You egomaniac! You decided you knew what it was without asking?”
She thrust her chin out. “I’m just confident that’s all. Anyway, obviously its an amount of money. Are you going to tell me how much, or are you going to keep jumping around backwards like a monkey on a string?”
He turned and fell back in step next to her. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“On if you spend more than two bits on me for lunch.”
“I don’t know if you’re worth that much.”
“You still don’t know how much it is.”
“Exactly.”
Michael let out his first real belly-laugh in over two years. Surprise washed over him at how good it felt.
“I have an idea. Let’s go to my house for lunch. I’m sure I have some moldy bread and cheese lying around.”
“Wow, you sure know how to win a girl’s heart.”
Rainn held her breath when they neared the old reservoir field. She waited to see if his mood would change. It didn’t.
“Yep, we could deep fry the cheese sammiches in the hunk o’ lard I bin savin for jest the right occasion,” he went on.
“Yum,” she said. “I can hardly wait.

Excerpt is copyright of Rose Blackerby

Good Points

First off, I would like to say this book is much more than a simple romance novel. This is the story of a woman’s transformation, and how that changes her outlook on the world. The characters were vivid and alive, and I loved that they used a very normal dialogue. Lots of stories can be too formal with their characters, but Rose Blackerby has hit the balance exactly. The storyline was unique, and flowed very well, without jumping about too much, or leaving the reader yawning. This is very much a character-driven story, and the characters kept the novel steaming along very nicely. The romance was touching and heart-felt, and real emotion was poured into it.

Bad Points

The only thing that left me a little confused was the occasional jump from the narrative to what the main character was thinking in her own head. In some places it was a little confusing to work out where it began and ended, and I had to re-read a few sentences. While this wasn’t a huge issue, it did disrupt my reading flow a little.

Overall

I thought this book was a great read. It was a romance, but far from the usual romance, and much more than that. It was one of those books that at the end left you thinking a little over everything that had happened. I enjoyed it a lot, and would recommend it to anyone who loves romances, and also to those who think they won’t, but love character-driven stories. Trust me, you will. 🙂

Woohoo! Happy Monday people! Today I have an extra special post for everyone-ERIN IS RELEASED TODAY! That’s right, the sequel to Conner is finally here 😀

Erin is the werewolf Queen of Athol Castle. She has no memories of the events of a few months ago, where she believed herself to be a psychologist, and met the enigmatic and charming Conner…

Filtiarn has taken over Conner’s body once more, and is relishing being in control. Cruel and sensual, he decides to work on a plan…to take over humanity. He begins a war…of werewolves against humans. But unknown to him, Conner is fighting against him within his own body, to set things right, and to bring Erin back from her own darkness. He tries to undo a great mistake from long ago, using Erin’s famed sword, Sioctine, as remnants of his own memory come back to him, opening up the present he now lives in.

At the same time, another enemy is using the situation to their advantage, following the werewolves at every turn, threatening to undo everything that Conner is struggling to obtain…

But will he be able to bring Erin back from Filtiarn’s grasp, or is it too late? And will he be able to stop the war against the humans progressing?

And who is threatening to take over not only the humans, but the werewolves as well?

But wait, there’s more!

Not only can you pick up a copy today, but you can enter the fun and the contest for LOADS of goodies over at our Facebook event page! 😀

When Witches Go Bad…

First Of The Pagan Year Warriors

Samhain - it all goes wrong for one young woman when she and a friend play with the shadows one night...

A Grim Reaper With A Difference…

When a headstrong young man dies, he is given the chance to redeem himself...and another.

The Grim Alliance Continues…

Gabe has a past even the other Reapers shudder at...will it haunt him forever?

The Third Installment Of The Grim Alliance

Alisha was always close to her sister - but can she stand by when her life is threatened, even knowing she will no longer be a Reaper?

The Fourth Book In The Grim Alliance

No one's love life is easy - but when twins Drew and Devin fall for the same girl, it can be catastrophic...

The Grim Alliances Continues!

Mika has always felt more out of place and time than the other Reapers - but will she be in time to rescue a Valkyrie she can't take her eyes off?

The Book That Started Them All…

A werewolf tale that combines suspense, romance, thriller, and horror. The first book I ever wrote.

The Book That Continued Erin And Conner’s Story…

The continuation of Conner and Erin's story, with more twists and turns, more werewolves, and more plot surprises you never saw coming.

The Final Chapter To Conner And Erin…

Yes, I've been nudged into deciding to write the final book for Conner and Erin. It was never meant to be written, but it's going to focus on Filtiarn and what happened between the ancient events, and the present day.